ICPS staff attend House of Lords Reception
On the 16th May, Gary Clifford and Stephen Clear from Bangor Law School’s Institute for Competition and Procurement Studies were invited to attend the Annual House of Lords Partnering Reception by Lord Evans of Watford and Lord Tony Berkeley.
Held at the House of Lords, the reception was organised by the Institute for Collaborative Working (ICW), formerly called Partnership Sourcing Limited (PSL), to celebrate a successful year for BS11000 (a framework for collaborative business relationships), and to have the UK launch of ISO 11000.
Gary Clifford (centre) and Stephen Clear (right) of Bangor Law School's ICPS, pictured with Robert Meakes, Associate at ICW, outside the House of Lords
PSL was established in 1990 by Lord Joseph as a joint initiative between the Department of Trade and Industry – now the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills – and the Confederation of British Industry. ICW’s continuing role is to help organisations, large and small, in both the public and private sectors, to build and develop effective competitive business relationships based upon a collaborative approach. The Institute is the thought leader and driving force behind the development of the BS 11000 Collaborative Business Relationship Framework, the world’s first Standard in relationship management, published by the British Standards Institution and based on the CRAFT methodology developed from the collective experience of the Institute’s Executive Network.
In announcing the name change from PSL to ICW at the reception, Les Pyle, Chief Executive of the ICW, spoke of how the Institute will “focus on collaborative working thought leadership and knowledge sharing, with the Executive Network remaining at the heart of its activities”.
The event was attended by over 200 CEOs, Head of Departments, Chairpersons and Managers, including Directors from Network Rail, National Express, Toshiba, the Department of Health and BT, as well as the Head of Procurement Performance from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and various Lords and Ladies.
The event provided Gary and Stephen with the opportunity to network with a variety of business leaders and to discuss the collaborative work that is taking place in the private sector, and the benefits such efforts will bring to the public sector.
Gary Clifford, ‘Winning in Tendering’ Project Manager at Bangor Law School, noted “It was an honour to be invited to such a prestigious event at such a fantastic location. Rubbing shoulders with industry leaders was one of the highlights of the day as well as meeting several dignitaries. This opportunity was made available by one of our procurement week speakers, Robert Meakes, from the Institute for Collaborative Working). Robert requested that the Institute for Competition and Procurement Studies (ICPS) be present at the this annual event, particularly as he was impressed with the work it has achieved to date, and he believed that the Institute could be a major force in Wales and across the UK. I am extremely proud to say that we were the only Law School at the event and one of only four Universities present on this memorable day.”
Stephen Clear, Public Procurement Legal Research Support Officer for ICPS, added that “many of the topics of discussions with the private sector at the House of Lords could be directly evidenced at this year’s Procurement Week 2012 conference, such as the need for further procurement training and issues of sustainability. The event also provided a ‘think tank’ for discussion with the construction and transport industry as to how recognising private sector collaborative efforts plays a part in delivering public benefits.”
The ICPS team are currently putting plans in place for Procurement Week 2013, which will take place between Monday 18th and Friday 22nd March 2013.
For the most up-to-date information regarding ICPS events, visit the website, or alternatively, contact Ms Becky Hughes.
Publication date: 29 May 2012